The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-17
renominated for President by accla.
nation, and triumphantly elected.

nation, and triumphantly elected.
"Now, fellow citlzsns, at the risk Of
being considered egotisticai, l beg to
refer for q single moment 10 the pa't
Some thirty years ago, at the instance
OF that grand and noble old soldier and
statesman, Benjamin g. Humphreys,
and great number OF prominent gen.
tlercen from your own city, Canton,
Holly Springs, Meridian, jackson, and
other points OF the State, I csnvassed
the State with view OF contributing
something to government under
which We could live. How euccesd.
ed leave the people who Remember
the time and occaeione to judge. Yet,
after that and other contests were
over, and after the Democratic party
bad succeeded to power In Mississippi,
/ was called 10 serve you as chief
magistrate. after service OF five and
one-hali years propose to present to
you the present financial condition Of
your State government. Tnia has be!
come necessary becauee OF false and
ignorant criticisms that have bean in.
dulged In by few persons who desire
to engage ia molding and controlling
public sentiment. l wish to state jnat
here that l have always received fair
treatment from the majority OF the
press Of Mississippi, and / want to say,
too, that Just and fair criticism often
sccomplishes much coed, bat 1t often
becomes necessary to check and crush
fsleahood and Ignorance.
81 affirm here today that there has
been no extrsvagance, no waste Of the
peoples money durirg the past five
and half years. More than that, l
affirm that there has been lees State
tax paid into TIE State treasury from
1882 to 1885, inclusive, than there has
been during the same period since the
war. / 90 still further and say, that
less tax have been paid, State and
county, during the pest five and half
years than hes besr for the same
length Of time In thirty years. i as
sumo these propositions to put at rest
for all time to come the sepseless
assertions Of class OF men who havs
been crying extravaganza, steals, jobs,
etc. II may be that one or two Of euch
persons sre not entirely without ca.
pscity, and are simply nisinformed,
but there is ano her class OF little
whippers spappers and me too fellows
who fall into line and with coarse cpl.
thets absolutely fatigue contempt.
These little gadflues often use in their
little writings we say thus and 80,
meaning thereby, l presume, the
writer and taenis, and more fit com.
panions have never known, except
the taenia has the advantage In point
OF respectability. II they had lived
during the war they would have
eclipsed euch generals a. Lee, the
Johnstons, Stonewall Jackson, and
relegated them TO the rear for iutfli.
cheney. SO distinguished would they
have become, that the custom, OF the
East would have been adopted in this
country, and these harmless rantere
would have been covered all over
with showy decorations.
at 10 not admissible from the hust.
irgs 70 deal elaborately in statistics,
aud / therefore, to establish the prop.
ositions made, promise 10 detsin you
but a short Tins and leave you after
wardr, when my statements are pub.
lished, TO read at leisure and ex anime
for yourselves aud see II they ara not
both correct and accurate. In q single
moment let me cay that the total as.
sessed valuation OF realty and person.
atty In Mississippi FROM 1879 to 1885.
inclusive, would average shout the
same. From 1876 10 1881, Inclusive,
the rate OF State taxation wac 40S
mills. The rae of State taxation for
the four years from 1882 to 1885, in.
elusive, was 81 mills and for 1886 81
mills. The ectual receipts paid into
the State Treasury on State taxes from
1875 to 1881, inclusive, average Si42,.
425 90 per year. The nctual receipts
paid into the State Treasury for State
taxes from 1882 10 1886, inclusive, gv.
craze i2S9, OPS 81 per year. by reason
OF the reduction from 4C8 10 q mills,
the collection Of State taxes fell short
In FIVE years Of my administration
s766, ,0S276. This Ia easily uuders OF 4.
/ yentured 10 say n lew dayB o,o, 10
tbe representative Of the NJ mphis
Avalanche, WAC made some
inquiry as 10 the increased
Indebtedness OF the STATE, that
Ia ten minutes time l could
make a negro undeutand II. From
the statement nst made, which a.
firm ie correct, from the TIeaeurei'g
books, tho people failed 10 pay into
the State Treasury by t768,9s2 10 40
much as they paid during the same
periet previous 10 1882. II the esmo
amount bad been paid In for the Yeas
mentioned, your treasury today
would be oveIf)wing, and Il wou d
not have been necessary for q single
bond 10 have been sold. That the
people Of tue State may fully under.
stand our system II tsxAtion, 90 well
rs our financial condition, addressed
a letter, on the 2S!h OF JUL, TO The
Hon. W W. Stone, Auditor, 10 iur.
nish the Executive Department., hAv.
ing the counties 10 come In alphabet.
icslly, ths nosnt Of taxes paid DUR
ing the last 1.c,l year by eaeh county
for guppOIt Of the Stats govsrnmf nj,
and the amount OF money returned 10
tho ooyenl counties By the State
Treasurer, and received from him the
following letter:
-" Robert Lowry, Governors
'tDear Sir-In reply 10 your rrquts.
OF July 2S, 1887, 10 furnish tho Cx Gu.
tive department, having the counties
tl ooms alphabetically, the amount Il
taxes paid tho lsst fiscal year by each
csunty for the support OF the State
government, and the amouRt of money
returned 20 the tevpIdl counties by
the Elala TreasnKnT. / haraxilh hnnd